The image quality for digital image data generated by a digital still camera (DSC), digital video camera (DVC), scanner or the like can be arbitrarily adjusted with image processing. For example, gamma correction processing, as well as brightness, contrast, sharpness and other image quality correction processing may be arbitrarily or automatically carried out in image processing.
Also, digital image data have the characteristic that a plurality of image data can be distributed on one printing sheet and that the layout can be freely edited when distributing the plurality of image data.
However, when carrying out suitable image processing on each image datum, a gamma correction table used in gamma correction processing or an LUT used in image quality correction processing, for example, is generated, and a holding area must be secured for each image datum in a storage area of the storage device such as a RAM. When distributing a plurality of image data to one printing sheet, all of the gamma correction tables or the like for the plurality of data must be retained, so there was the problem that when the image data distributed on one printing sheet increased, the required memory resources grew.
In particular, this was a serious problem for stand-alone type printers carrying out image processing and printing processing without a personal computer whose available memory resources are limited.